Fire-escape ladder



(No Model.) A. ROSE FIRE ESCAPE LADDER. N0. 331,7 6. Patented Dec. 1, 18

vHWIEHQTOR BY Jam #9 ATTORIEYS.

N PEYERS. PhuVeLxlhogmphcr. Washinglflfl. D. C.

UNITED STATES ALEXANDER ROSE, OF LAW'RENOE, KANSAS.

FIRE-ESCAPE LADDER.

SPECIPICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 331,736, dated December 1, 1885.

Application filed September 11, 1885. Serial No. 176,800. (No model.)

10 mine-shafts and in barns and other buildings;

and the object of the invention is to improve the construction of ladders of this character so that they may be very quickly adjusted for use, and will be inexpensive, strong, effective,

I 5 and durable.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of and consequently to the ladder, which is connected to hanger O by tying the upper ends of the ropes or chains B B to the outwardly-projecting center parts of the hangerbrackets o just above the cross-bar c of the hanger. The lower ends of the brackets c c, or it may be the cross-bar c of the hanger, rests against the wall F of the building when the hanger-hooks D D are engaged with the window-sill.

As seen best 'in Fig. 2, the brackets c o are bent out-ward enough to allow the ladder A B to hang clear of the cap-stones and sills of the windows below the hanger and behind the ladder, so that ample room is left back of the ladder for the passage of a persons feet far enough through the ladder to secure a firm footing on the rounds without striking the feet against the building; hence the ladder may confidently be used by timid persons.

The ladder A B is flexible, so that it will accommodate itself to projecting verandas G,

parts of the ladder, all as hereinafter fully de- 3, l scribed and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate from the ropes.

corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my im- 2 proved fire-escape ladder, showing it applied to a building in position for use. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the ladder in part and a portion of the building, thelatter being partly in vertical section; and Fig. 3 is a perspective 0 View of the top frame or hanger-support of the ladder and the top of the ladder, and

drawn to a larger scale.

The ladder is made with a series of rounds, A, connected to opposite side ropes or chains,

35 B B, by tying or knotting the ropes or chains around the rounds A near their ends, the rounds being reduced in diameter where the ropes or chains B connect with them, as at a in Fig. 3, so as to prevent slip of the rounds The rounds are spaced at suitable distance apart to form steps, up or down which persons may go when the ladder is supported at its upper end by the frame or hanger G. The metal hanger G, as shown most 5 clearly in Fig. 3, is composed of opposite side bracket-pieces, o a, connected by cross-bars c c c. The brackets c c are bent at their upper ends to formthe inwardly-projecting hooks D D, which are adapted to be hooked or caught over and behind the window-sill E of a building to give a strong support to the hanger,

as seen in Fig. 1, and at the lower end of the ladder I fasten a long round, A, which pro jects laterally far enough beyond the side ropes or chains, B B, to allow its ends a a to be hooked directly behind or inside of the wall or casings at opposite sides of a window to support the ladder from that end, if desired, and the projecting end parts,a' a',of the round A also form handles, which may be grasped by persons on the ground, when the hanger O is hooked ontoa window-sill,to draw the lower end of the ladder back from the building to give the ladder any preferred inclination, to make the descent and ascent of persons more easy and less dangerous.

It is evident that the ladder A B may be rolled up and stored away with hanger G in an upper room in small space, and so as to be ready for use, and it requires but a few mo ments to connect the hanger O to the windowsill and throw the ladder out of the window in case of fire; and should the ladder not be in a building, a line may be thrown to persons in a window and a ladder may quickly be pulled up by the line from the ground and fastened to the sill by the hooks D D of the hanger G, or by the long round A, as above explained, and the persons then may escape down the ladder.

The ladder may of course be used for many purposes besides escaping from burning buildings-such as ascending and descendingwells and mine-shafts, and in barns or other buildings. When the ladder is to be used only as a fire-escape, it will be desirable to make the parts A B entirely of metal, bars or tubes being used for the rounds, and Wire ropes or chains being used to support the rounds.

All parts of the ladder may be made strong enough for any use to which it is to be put, as will readily be understood.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Paten t 1. A fire-escape ladder comprising rounds A, ropes or chains B B, connecting the spaced ALEXANDER ROSE.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE A. NICHOLS, LEWIs I. STEELE. 

